


Oblivious

by MachineQueen



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ferdibert Flashbang (Fire Emblem), Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, post crimson flower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22837999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachineQueen/pseuds/MachineQueen
Summary: Should St Valentine ever make his presence known, he was going straight onto Hubert’s hitlist. He’d already helped eliminate one religious figure; one more wouldn’t hurt.Hubert fears he is too oblivious in the ways of romance for someone like Ferdinand.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 14
Kudos: 334
Collections: Ferdibert Gang Valentine Flashbang





	Oblivious

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was created in collaboration with the very talented [@goldstorm](https://twitter.com/gold_storm_) as part of the Ferdibert server's Valentine flashbang event. 
> 
> Thanks to the mods and shout out to our fellow participants for making such stellar content
> 
> [@MachineQueen](https://twitter.com/MachineQueen4)

Someone had replaced the interior of Lady Edelgard’s office with a springtime garden. Though Her Majesty received many gifts (usually accompanied by offers of marriage), they were supposed to be vetted first. Hubert would have surely remembered if such a large arrangement had turned up at his offices. Something somewhere had lapsed. He would be having strong words with whoever made the delivery. Her Majesty had not survived the war only to be felled by a bloody bouquet. 

There was a card on the desk, but it just made Hubert even more suspicious of foul play.‘Dear Edie, from guess who? Xxx’.

It was lucky Hubert had reached the office first. He would be able to thoroughly check each bloom for poisons or traps. One of Lady Edelgard’s ancestors had died pricking his finger on a tainted rose and Hubert did not want history to repeat itself. As he worked, he remembered the plant names Lady Edelgard had taught him. Daffodils. Crocuses. Tulips. Snowdrops. He sneezed as he poked at soil and checked inside petals. 

As he was nearing the end of his meticulous inspection, Lady Edelgard herself stepped inside the office. Her schedule for the day was on the lighter end so she was in informal dress. She blinked at Hubert and then spotted the bouquet spread over her desk.

“Oh! Hubert! You...shouldn’t have!” A frown pinched her forehead. 

“They’re not from me. Please step outside while I check they are safe.”

“Was there a message?”

He passed her the card. Lady Edelgard read it, then flushed a becoming pink. She inhaled, breathing in the sweet, fresh scent of the flowers. “You can stop that. I know who left them.”

“Who?”

“Oh? Have I at last solved a mystery that you cannot?” Lady Edelgard smiled, catlike. “I think that’s between me and my secret admirer.”

“Are you truly not going to tell me? It might be best, in case my staff accidentally detains them...”

Hubert had an idea of who it might be. But it was always best to confirm these things. He wasn’t well versed in the language of romance. It was the one area where he couldn’t be confident about his own conclusions.

Lady Edelgard laughed. “The person in question has the necessary clearance. Shouldn’t you be concentrating on Ferdinand? I’m sure he’ll be expecting a gift. Probably something ever so grand. Like an opera. Or a show pony. Or a rusty legendary sword!”

Hubert tilted his head, confused. Lady Edelgard had been  _ delighted _ when she’d gone looking for Hubert in his chambers and found him there with Ferdinand asleep on his shoulder. She’d extracted a confession from Hubert soon afterwards. No, this wasn’t the first time. Yes, sometimes there was kissing. But she’d never inquired about gifts before. Was she concerned about his finances? Or had Ferdinand hinted that he expected more from Hubert than bags of tea leaves? The former noble had expensive taste after all. Maybe there was some rule of courtship that Hubert had missed because he’d never paid attention to that sort of thing. House Vestra was not famed for its grand romances. 

“Why should Ferdinand be expecting a gift?” asked Hubert, already worried about the answer.

Lady Edelgard picked up the small calendar she kept on her desk and showed him the relevant square. It was marked with a red heart. Hubert stared at it for a moment, still not comprehending.

“Hubert. Valentine’s Day,” Lady Edelgard prompted. “Did you forget?”

Forget? A memory stirred from their school days. There had been an informal dance of some sort, but he’d missed it. He’d been busy testing chocolates gifted to Lady Edelgard for poisons. 

“No! I-I simply do not put any stock in that nonsense.”

Lady Edelgard failed to keep the smirk from her face. “But isn’t Ferdinand worth a little nonsense?”

Hubert thought of mornings where a cup of coffee appeared at his bedside, afternoons drinking tea in the gardens, evenings curled in front of the fire. Ferdinand made him laugh and made him think and, on occasion, made him furious like no one else ever could. 

Hubert sighed. "I expect he shall be cross with me for forgetting the occasion."

"If you're quick, you could head out to the market."

"I am due to meet him for tea within the hour."

Lady Edelgard grimaced and then plucked a flower from her bouquet. "It's something," she said, holding it out to him. 

Despite his panic, Hubert was touched. "Thank you."

"Don't make that face. He knows how busy you are."

Hubert was not convinced. When he was with Ferdinand, he was too dazzled to remember all the reasons why their courtship was doomed to fail. But at times like this, he kept wondering how long they had left. How long until Ferdinand realised this whole thing was absurd? Surely he knew Hubert von Vestra’s black heart was not meant for love. It was like trying to teach a cat to bark. 

He departed Lady Edelgard’s office with the papers he had come for and a heavy heart. 

XxX

There were twenty minutes before Hubert was due to meet Ferdinand in the agreed spot. Walking from one end of the palace to the other alone took ten and that was not even allowing for the different floors. There was nothing in his chambers that would be of any use, so there was no point returning there. He’d not had the foresight to squirrel anything away for a rainy day. 

Hubert made the strategic decision to conduct a raid on the pantry. The kitchen staff took one look at his face and decided it was best not to ask questions. He wasted several minutes rummaging around sacks of flour, oats, sugar and the like before a quaking chef told him they kept the guest foodstuffs separately. 

“Stock is running a little low,” she warned. “We’re due a delivery tomorrow.”

She wasn’t wrong. The items remaining were things people ate because they were left and not because they were liked. Hubert ground his teeth in frustration. He couldn’t gift Ferdinand raisin cookies or stale blueberry muffins. 

Hubert was out of ideas. There wasn’t time to search anywhere else. He would have to meet Ferdinand with only a stolen flower to give. Should St Valentine ever make his presence known, he was going straight onto Hubert’s hitlist. He’d already helped eliminate one religious figure; one more wouldn’t hurt.

XxX

There was a secluded spot in the palace gardens that had been a patio before being neglected in wartime. Not many knew of its continued existence and as Minister of the Imperial Household Hubert had the power to keep it that way. He ducked through sprawling trees until he felt his boot hit worn paving. There, he took a moment to catch his breath before continuing on. Wild flowers and weeds crept between the stones and splashed the small square with vivid colour. There was a small outhouse to the left for preparation of food and drink. Many moons ago, Adrestian emperors would have used this space for formal summertime meetings with valued guests. 

Ferdinand was already waiting, along with a tea tray. He sat in a long-rusted garden chair, eyes closed, face to where the weak winter sun filtered through the evergreen trees. Today he was dressed in black and gold, his hair tied into a long tail. Ferdinand liked to dress up for the weekly prime minister’s questions. When he was dressed so lavishly, it made Hubert even more baffled by their courtship. 

“Do not try and sneak up on me,” Ferdinand said, eyes still closed. 

Hubert chuckled. “Very good. It is increasingly difficult to surprise you.”

“Mmm. I have grown accustomed to your wicked ways.”

Hubert took the chair opposite. Ferdinand quirked an eyebrow. 

“Did you spill some flour?”

“Ah-”

Hubert looked down and noticed the very white dusting on his very black jacket. Great. As if the day needed more hiccups. “I was helping in the kitchen,” he said, because he knew Ferdinand would only question him further if he said nothing.

“Quiet day at the office?”

“I wish.”

"That's not actually flour, is it? As long as it's not dangerous, I won't ask any more questions."

"It's not dangerous."

Ferdinand laughed and poured his coffee. Then watched Hubert take his first sip. There was always a moment of tension while he waited to see if Hubert liked the drink. 

“Perfect,” said Hubert. 

Ferdinand‘s smile could have lit the palace for a day, if only they found some way to use it as fuel. 

"Been picking flowers?" asked Ferdinand, nodding at the yellow bloom clutched in Hubert's left hand. 

“Oh. Yes. This is for you."

Hubert handed over the flower, wincing when he saw the stem was crushed. There were people out there who could give Ferdinand the world. Hubert could not even manage a simple gift. But nevertheless, Ferdinand seemed delighted. He reached across the table to clasp Hubert's hand. 

“Thank you. It’s lovely.”

He undid one of the buttons on his coat so he could thread the bedraggled daffodil through the buttonhole. 

"I didn't get you anything more," Hubert blurted out.

Ferdinand looked up from where he was fiddling with the flower. His smile faded. Hubert looked away, unable to bear any expression of disappointment. 

"Why would you have?" asked Ferdinand. 

Hubert swallowed. "Well. It's Valentine's…?"

“What?”

“Valentine’s Day…?”

“Ah...and that’s..today...?”

“Today,” confirmed Hubert. 

"Ah." Ferdinand began to look very sheepish. He looked away, eyes wide, face flushed. “Hubert, I must confess. I did not get a gift. I  _ meant  _ to. But I got so caught up in these damn questions. One of the ministers really has it in for me, so I knew I had to prepare a watertight argument and to do that I needed to read the baron’s research papers and then-”

“Hush. Hush just a moment,” ordered Hubert. 

There was a brief pause. For once, Ferdinand didn't protest at being hushed. He fidgeted in his seat while Hubert tried to get his head round what he’d just heard. Ferdinand forgetting he was due some extra attention seemed unthinkable. His workload must really be getting to him. 

"I will get you something," Ferdinand said, reaching for Hubert's hand again. "Are you terribly upset with me?" 

"No," Hubert curled his fingers round Ferdinand's. "I just can't believe we both forgot. We, who are supposed to be helping our lady to run the Empire!" 

“Indeed. But you did give me a small token. I brought you coffee, I suppose, but that is hardly out of the ordinary.”

Hubert barely heard. He was too giddy with relief. He rose, abandoning his drink so he could reach for Ferdinand. Ferdinand’s lap was a good a place for him to sit as any other. Better, in fact. It was entirely ridiculous that Ferdinand could calm his mind with a simple touch. But there it was. Ferdinand made affection easy, even for him. 

“Hubert?” 

Ferdinand put his head into the crook of Hubert’s neck. As always, it was a perfect fit. Then he waited. He had learned Hubert would speak more if he wasn't pressed. Hubert swallowed, rested his cheek against copper curls. 

“Courting is not something I have cultivated a skill for.”

Even the thought of someone else holding Ferdinand like this left him feeling like a fork had been dragged through his insides. But there was no getting away from how unqualified he was to do so. 

"I wish I had got you something. Anyone else would have."

Ferdinand was quiet for a moment. Then he drew back so he could cup Hubert’s cheek. His gentle fingers touched so tenderly it made Hubert shiver. 

“All the little things you do are worth more than flashy gifts. You remember the names of my horses. You celebrate my victories and listen to my complaints. You make me tea when I am tired."

His thumb stroked Hubert's cheek and caressed the fronds of hair that fell there. Hubert leaned into the soft touch, covering Ferdinand's hand with his own.

“...I merely have a good memory and excellent listening skills."

"Is that so? All the same, I find such things quite romantic. You have nothing to worry about.” Ferdinand took Hubert’s gloved hand and kissed the back of it. “I expect no gifts, only your undivided attention!”

"I am sure that can be arranged, on occasion."

Hubert leaned in and claimed a kiss from Ferdinand’s lips. Hubert would never tire of the way the prime minister's mouth softened beneath his. He kept the kiss gentle, hoping to communicate all the tender feelings he constantly failed to put into words. 

For a few minutes, Ferdinand became the start and end of Hubert's world. It was so good to get lost for a while...

"Your coffee will get cold," Ferdinand said before the kisses could escalate into something that would make them both late for their afternoon duties. 

Hubert retrieved his mug. Ferdinand's breath had quickened and a few hairs had escaped from his ponytail. 

“Hubert. I have a proposal on how I can compensate for my lack of a gift.” 

“Oh?

“I will arrange for the two of us to have an evening to ourselves. Perhaps we can dine out somewhere or go to the opera.”

Hubert hesitated. “That sounds-”

“ _ Or _ we could barricade ourselves in my room with a tea set and some light reading.”

“How about a compromise? Dinner and then the reading.”

Ferdinand smiled. “I find those terms acceptable. Let us shake hands.”

Hubert took the offered hand and brought it to his lips instead, as Ferdinand had done earlier.

“And you say you have not cultivated skills in courtship,” laughed Ferdinand. “I think you are selling yourself short.”

“I am pleased you think so. Now, tell me more about this minister who is giving you extra reading.”

And Ferdinand was off, mind whirling, tongue spinning. When Hubert had imagined the end of the war, he’d never imagined this. He’d once thought of Ferdinand von Aegir as a footnote. Instead, he’d cast himself in a leading role. Ferdinand loved attention. And it seemed he loved Hubert’s most of all. 


End file.
